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By DANIEL VALENTINE, Staff Writer

If city election officials certify all 23 prospective candidates at their meeting tomorrow, African-American candidates will run for office in all but one of the city's eight wards, as well as for mayor.

The slate of 10 minority candidates came just days after a conclave of 50 pastors, lawmakers and civil rights representatives met secretly at a local hotel and decided to make race issues a central part in this year's race.

"The idea is to make sure African-American issues and concerns are addressed," said Carl O. Snowden, a former mayoral candidate and alderman who organized the full-court press over the weekend calling residents and asking them to run.

As the deadline passed last night, the election roster for the fall began to take shape. It includes a three-way race for mayor, crowded fields in Wards 1 and 2, and challenges to most incumbents in the Nov. 8 general election.

If the surge of involvement by black candidates translates to increased turnout in the African- American community, it could have a significant effect on the fall election.

Mayor Ellen O. Moyer, an Eastport Democrat who is seeking a second term, won thanks to a large showing in the city's three African-American wards in 2001, but was relatively even with Republican challenger Herb McMillan in wards 1 and 2, the most active in the city.

This year she is challenged by former supporter and Annapolis Walk Alderman George O. Kelley Sr., R-Ward 4, an African American who has criticized Ms. Moyer for not doing enough to benefit the city's poorer residents.

"The interesting question will be whether the African-American vote goes to George or to Ellen," said Josh Cohen, D-Ward 8.

Mr. Cohen is the only alderman who faces no challenger in the election.

Both Mr. Kelley and Ms. Moyer will face independent Gilbert Renaut of Ward 1, who spent yesterday gathering the required 500 signatures - at least 50 from each ward - to run outside the party system.

"I must have gotten 200 of them myself," Mr. Renaut said when he turned in his application two hours before the deadline last night. "I really learned a lot about what the people in this city care about."

All three mayoral candidates have a free ride until the general election. They only would have to face potential write-ins in the Sept. 20 primary.

But most other candidates face primary fights, especially in wards 1 and 2, where Alderwomen Louise Hammond and Sheila M. Toliver are the only incumbents not seeking re-election or higher office.

In the downtown district, Republican Doug Burkhardt will face one of two Ward 1 Democrats: Richard Israel, a former city election official and state lawyer, or Alice O. Johnson, the president of the Bloomsbury Square tenant council who filed her papers as part of Mr. Snowden's initiative.

The field is even wider in Ward 2, where Republican voters will chose between three diverse candidates: David Hanson, former commodore of the Eastport Yacht Club, Mike Christman, a learning technology consultant and Naval Academy graduate or Robert Eades, a taxicab company owner and civil rights activist who also answered the call for African-American candidates.

Democrats will decide between Debbie Rosen McKerrow, an Admiral Heights civic association leader, and Zastro Simms, a resident of Glenwood Hi-Rise and longtime friend of former Mayor Roger "Pip" Moyer, Ms. Moyer's ex-husband.

In wards 3 and 7, incumbents Classie Hoyle and Michael W. Fox are being challenged in the primary. Ms. Hoyle faces fellow Democrat Scott Bowling, a branch manager for a mortgage firm who said he decided to run after Ms. Hoyle authorized an annexation near his home.

"Classie was somewhat unresponsive," said Mr. Bowling, who said he would support more stringent standards for annexations and a greater cap on homeowner property tax bills if elected.

Mr. Fox, a moderate Republican who has been recently criticized for refusing to support a conservative push lowering the Homestead Tax Credit, faces a challenge from fellow Republican Laura Townsend for the Ward 7 primary. The winner faces Democrat Quinton Kaskins, another African-American who filed at the request of Mr. Snowden, his uncle.

In Ward 5, Republican Alderman David Cordle will face Democrat James R. Turner, a former member of the Planning Commission, in the general election.

In Ward 6, incumbent Democratic Alderwoman Cynthia Carter will again face independent candidate Julie M. Stankivic in the general election. In 2001, Ms. Carter won with 263 votes - 69 more than Ms. Stankivic.

No Republicans are running in Ward 6 at this time.

In Ward 4, two African-American newcomers will face off in the general election. Voters in the district can choose between Democrat Wayne Taylor, a flooring contractor or Tyrone Furman, a recently-turned Republican.

"It's good to see more and more people in the community get involved," said Mr. Furman, who turned in his papers 30 minutes before the 9 p.m. deadline.